Data part of Washoe school district’s future

Washoe County School District Superintendant Pedro Martinez gives his state of education address Wednesday night at Reno High School 1/22/14. Photo by Tim Dunn/RGJ(Photo: Tim Dunn/RGJ, Tim Dunn)Buy Photo

Washoe County Superintendent Pedro Martinez vowed in a speech Wednesday that teachers will know more than ever about their students and the community will know exactly where every taxpayer dollar is spent on local education.

In his second State of Education address at Reno High School, Martinez promised an online checkbook and an electronic data warehouse that contains the progress and test scores of every student.

“We have heard you loud and clear and we have to be transparent,” Martinez said to a crowd of educators and community leaders, many who he credited with district’s accomplishments over the past year including hitting a 72 percent graduation rate for the Class of 2013.

He said in the next few months that the community will be able to see checks the district writes as they are being written and have online access to district expenses.

He said he is proud of how the district is using and will continue to use data to help students.

“We can use this information in a timely manner to help students,” he said of a new electronic database that will keep student records in one place from kindergarten through graduation.

“Not to want this kind of information is crazy,” said Andrea Hughes-Baird, a Washoe County parent and part of the nonpartisan lobbying group Parent Leaders for Education.

“Before, all of this information was in different places, sometimes in different reports, so you never knew what was accurate.”

She said having all of the information in one place is instrumental in helping all children.

The data system will include test scores, attendance records, discipline files and other personal information, including other family members’ levels of education.

The district has made the information available to counselors and deans. Over the next year every teacher will have access, too.

Martinez stressed that security and privacy of student information was of utmost importance.

The district said it received calls with concerns, including from civil liberty groups. about following students with a data trail.

But Tom Harrison, an associate dean for the University of Nevada, Reno College of Education, said the university keeps a similar database on its college students. He said there are firewalls and safeguards so data is protected.

Harrison said data has always been a part of education but has started becoming an integral part in the past 10 years.

He said it’s how universities are accredited.

“Schools that aren’t developing a culture of data are not going to be accredited,” he said of the university system, adding that it’s just as important for K-12 education.

“The best school districts in the country are using data tracking,” he said.

Parent Michele Montoya said having data systems like Martinez talked about will help as she navigates the school district with a first- and fourth-grader.

“I want to be able to sit down and see where I may need to help or what I can do,” she said.

Montoya said she worried that a student may be classified one way by a certain teacher but said she thinks a good educator may be able to look at a file and see that it wasn’t just the student who was struggling.

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Patrick Peterson of North Valley’s High School named National Janitor of the Year

Source: Washoe County School District

Future plans for school distirct

Common Core: Students will be challenged at a higher level

Social and emotional learning: District adopting curriculum to develop skills in decision-making, teamwork and conflict resolution

Family engagement: District will increase home visits

High school diploma options: The district will continue to offer specialized programs at highs schools and grow North Star Online School

Increase graduates: Martinez said the district is on track to hit a 80 percent graduate rate by 2016

Redesign of ELL and special education: The district will revamp programs for students still learning English and those with disabilities

After graduation: District is working with UNR, TMCC and other universities to make the transition to college a reality for more students. The district will also track where students go after graduation